View source for Dungeonomicon (3.5e Sourcebook)/Maginomicon

== Material Components: A Joke Gone ''Way'' Out of Hand ==

Material components are a joke. I'm not saying that they are metaphorically a joke in that they don't act as a consistent or adequate limiting factor to spellcasting, I mean that they are ''actually a joke''. Material components are supposed to be "ha ha" funny. The fact that even after having this brought to your attention, you still aren't laughing, indicates that this is a failed attempt at humor. Most material components are based on technological gags: when you cast ''scrying'', you are literally supposed to grab yourself a "specially treated" mirror, some wire, and some lemons – which is to say that you make a TV set to watch your target on and then power it with an archaic battery. When you cast ''see invisibility'', you literally blow talc all over the place – which of course reveals invisible foes. Casting ''lightning bolt'' requires you to generate a static charge with an amber rod and some fur, ''tongues'' requires that you build a little Tower of Babel, and of course ''fireball'' requires that you whip up some actual gunpowder. Get it? You're making the effects MacGuyver style and then claiming that it's "magic" after the fact. Are you laughing yet?

Of course not, because that joke is incredibly lame and there's no way for it to hold your attention for several months of a continuous campaign.
Component	V + and S +
Level	Sorcerer/Wizard 4 +, Sorcerer/Wizard 7 +, Bard 1 +, Sorcerer/Wizard 2 +, Sorcerer/Wizard 3 +, Sorcerer/Wizard 5 + and Sorcerer/Wizard 6 +
Range	Personal +, Medium + and Touch +
School	Transmutation +
Summary	You are transformed into a creature of your choosing. +, Target is transformed into an alternate creature (revised polymorph). +, Multiple targets are transformed into alternate creatures. +, Target assumes appearance and form of a humanoid. +, Target takes on the form of an animal or magical beast. +, Target assumes the form of a monster. +, Target gains form of a fiendish race, as well as some of their abilities. + and The target assumes the form of a huge dragon. +